Throwback Thursday: Readers Choice — The 12 Best Concealed Carry Guns

Reader ‘Lee’ writes, “…Why not create an unbiased list of firearms instead of a thinly veiled attempt at trying to sell something?” and ‘Papasan 173’ responds, “Why not go to an unbiased authorized list of guns? Oh yeah! There isn’t one. Don’t come to a gun dealer’s newsletter and complain because they are trying to sell guns.”

My comparison piece, The Top 15 Smallest Pistols got plenty of Shooter’s Log readers’ pretty riled up. Quite a few of you seemed offended that I had left out your favorite gun. In fact, the list was actually described as “horse turds,” “pos” and even “erroneous.” Ouch!

I guess you could compare it to when your significant other tells you that your favorite shirt does indeed make you look fat.

It is impossible to come up with the definitive list of “the best” of anything, because “the best” is all relative. Reader Rodney summed it up perfectly, “Not all shooters are the same, everybody holds their pistol different, no matter how many times you tell or show them. All these pistols are good, but only as good as the shooter.”

Here are the top 12 smallest and best-concealed semiautomatic handguns according to you:

User ratings are based on Cheaper Than Dirt! customer reviews and reviews found on other gun blogs—not author’s personal ratings.

Ruger LCP

Winning handgun of the year in 2008 and 2011, the LCP remains a top seller.

Ruger should be so proud, if only it could feel all the love you guys show for the LCs! With how many of you mentioned the Ruger LC9, LCP, and LC380, these are clearly great carry guns. Brian wrote that the LC9 “is probably the best 9mm pocket pistol from sales to size out there and beats Kahr’s inconsistent reliability and cheapest price by $100 without the cheap skanky advertising.” McRuger is also a big fan (obviously), “My favorite carry is Ruger LC9. I can carry the LC9 with a Blackhawk pocket holster regardless of what I wear and nearly forget its there. The LC9 is accurate and has performed flawlessly.”

Trek let us know how he felt with real talk, “Rugers are not on the list? Something is wrong with that. The newer LC9s is a great pocket gun. The trigger is nothing like the predecessor LC9. Great light and small. And what about no LCP on this list? One of the most affordable .380 pocket options out there and is smaller than most mentioned in this list. Rugers are a great choice.” I guess the missing Rugers are what made my original list erroneous.

Ruger LCP

Caliber

.380 ACP

Barrel Length

2.75 inches

Capacity

6 rounds

Overall Height

3.6 inches

Overall Length

5.2 inches

Overall Width

0.8 inches

Weight Unloaded

9.7 ounces

Sights

Integral

Grip

Glass-filled nylon

Price

MSRP starting at $389

User rating

4.23 out of 5 stars

Ruger LC380

What do you get when you cross the LC9 and the LCP? The Ruger LC380.

Ruger LC380

Caliber

.380 ACP

Barrel Length

3.1 inches

Capacity

7 rounds

Overall Height

4.5 inches

Overall Length

6 inches

Overall Width

0.9 inches

Weight Unloaded

17.2 ounces

Sights

Drift adjustable 3-dot

Frame

Glass-filled nylon

Price

MSRP starting at $449

User rating

4.5 out of 5 stars

Ruger LC9s

Ruger added a striker-fired version of the LC9 called the LC9s.

Ruger LC9s

Caliber

9mm

Barrel Length

3.1 inches

Capacity

7 rounds

Overall Height

4.5 inches

Overall Length

6 inches

Overall Width

0.9 inches

Weight Unloaded

17.2 ounces

Sights

Drift adjustable 3-dot

Grip

Glass-filled nylon

Price

MSRP starting at $449

User rating

4 out of 5 stars

Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380

Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380

Frequent commenter G-Man couldn’t believe I had left the S&W .380 Bodyguard off the list and fair enough. My apologies for skipping over a gun that does meet the criteria for a good carry gun. The Bodyguard semiautomatic .380 has a 2.75-inch barrel and is only 5.25 inches in overall length. Mike owns it and loves it. While Jack Haskins had this to say, “I was disappointed not to find my S&W .380 Bodyguard listed in this article. I find it very easy to shoot and very accurate. The only draw back is the long trigger pull. For a carry gun it is very good.”

Smith & Wesson Bodyguard

Caliber

.380 ACP

Barrel Length

2.75 inches

Capacity

6 rounds

Overall Height

4.17 inches

Overall Length

5.25 inches

Overall Width

0.75 inch

Weight Unloaded

12 ounces

Sights

Drift adjustable/integrated laser is optional

Grip

Polymer

Price

Starting at $332.35

User rating

4 out of 5 stars

Bersa Thunder .380

My favorite feature of the Bersa is its accuracy.

Though I like the Bersa Thunder .380, it did not make the first list because it isn’t as subcompact as the others. With a 3.5-inch barrel, 6.6-inch overall length, 1.3-inch width and 23-ounce weight, it is even bigger than the S&W Shield which was the largest pistol on the original list. Jim says, “You didn’t mention Bersa. The last time I qualified for CHL my Bersa went up against PPK, H&K, Beretta and Glock. My Bersa shot super tight groups—a perfect score with no jams. While the other guns shot all over the target and also some had jams.” I agree with you Jim, I was very surprised at how accurate the Bersa Thunder .380 was when I tested it.

Bersa Thunder

Caliber

.380 ACP

Barrel Length

3.5 inches

Capacity

10 rounds

Overall Height

4.7 inches

Overall Length

6.6 inches

Overall Width

1.3 inches

Weight Unloaded

18.9 ounces

Sights

Integral blade front/notched-bar dovetail rear

Grip

Checkered polymer/Crimson Trace lasergrip optional

Price

Starting at $352.91

User rating

4 out of 5 stars

Springfield XD-S

Springfield 3.3 XD-S

I get the feeling that many of you would not argue the Springfield XD-S’s 2013 award for “handgun of the year” by American Rifleman. Available in .45 ACP or 9mm with either a 3.3- or 4-inch barrel, at 0.9 inches wide, it rivals the size of many of the others, but has upgraded sights and excellent ergonomics. In fact, Michael thinks it should be “number one on the list.” Thomas Bonds carries the .45 model every day and Bud Parker can’t “say a bad word about it.”

Springfield XD-S

Caliber

9mm/.45 ACP

Barrel Length

3.3 and 4 inches

Capacity

7/8 and 5/6 rounds

Overall Height

4.4 or 5 inches

Overall Length

6.3 inches

Overall Width

0.90 inches

Weight Unloaded

Up to 24.5 ounces

Sights

Fiber optic front/dovetail rear

Grip

Polymer

Price

Starting at $509

User rating

5 out of 5 stars

Kel-Tec P-32

Kel-Tec P-32

I don’t want to get into any caliber wars here, but after The Top 15 Smallest Pistols published, I had a friend tell me they carry a .32 ACP every day. And I guess a lot of you do, too. The Kel-Tec is indeed very small. It has a 2.7-inch barrel, is only 3.5 inches tall and weighs a mere 6.6 ounces—probably the lightest in the bunch. Tom Gough says, “I have a Kel-Tec P-32 and with the extended magazine, holds 10 rounds, and with the extended magazine it gives a full grip which allows me to shoot it very well. I carry this gun when wandering around in cut-off jeans and a T-shirt behind the back and it never prints.”

Kel-Tec P-32

Caliber

.32 ACP

Barrel Length

2.7 inches

Capacity

7 rounds

Overall Height

3.5 inches

Overall Length

5.1 inches

Overall Width

0.75 inch

Weight Unloaded

6.6 ounces

Sights

Fixed

Grip

High-impact polymer Dupont ST-8018 grip

Price

Starting at $230.37

User rating

5 out of 5 stars

SIG Sauer P938

If you need a new concealed carry gun or want to switch from a revolver to a semiautomatic, check out the SIG P938.

I didn’t do a scientific study on your comments, but I think its safe to say that if this were a popularity contest the SIG P938 would be voted captain of the cheerleading team or football quarterback and I’ll be the one crowning it homecoming King or Queen…depending on what model SIG P938 you own. Not only is it an aesthetically beautiful piece, no matter what grips or finish it comes in, it is easy to operate for men, women, younger and older and extremely comfortable carry no matter what method you prefer. I always suggest those looking for a concealed carry to try the P938. It holds six rounds of 9mm—better than the .380 ACP, in my opinion—has a thumb safety, nights sights and is slim and lightweight enough you don’t have to dress for the gun. The majority of complaints I hear about the P938 is the price. But then again, you can’t put a price on your life now can you?

Praises for the SIG P938 9mm:

Fine choice

Best small carry gun there is

The last small pistol

Finest small gun on the market

One of the very best sub-compact autos

Love my Sig p238 Nitron with Rosewood grips

Fast follow up shots and an order of magnitude better than my Ruger LCP

What a phenomenal piece of hardware

I have three, it’s a great gun and is now my carry gun, replacing a Sig P229

SIG Sauer P938

Caliber

9mm

Barrel Length

3 inches

Capacity

6 rounds

Overall Height

3.9 inches

Overall Length

5.9 inches

Overall Width

1.1 inches

Weight Unloaded

16 ounces

Sights

Night sights

Grip

Various

Price

$655.20

User rating

4.5 out of 5 stars

Taurus 738 TCP

For around $250, you get an accurate and reliable self-defense weapon that will conceal just about anywhere.

“I can’t believe you didn’t include the Taurus TCP 380.” -John

Taurus 738 TCP owners report its accuracy at self-defense distances, even with its minimal sights. It has an interesting look and when first introduced, it was available in a wide variety of different colors—that appealed to those hesitant about shooting or owning a gun. When it was new, it was Taurus’ lightest .380 pistol. It now contends with the Curve, both weighing 10.2 ounces unloaded. It retails for less than $250, which is why I’m sure many chose the Taurus TCP over the many other, and more expensive, choices.

Taurus 738 TCP

Caliber

.380 ACP

Barrel Length

3.3 inches

Capacity

6 rounds

Overall Height

3.75 inches

Overall Length

5.19 inches

Overall Width

0.87 inches

Weight Unloaded

10.2 ounces

Sights

Fixed

Grip

Checkered polymer

Price

Starting at $246.42

User rating

3 out of 5 stars

Kel-Tec P-11

The P-11 is especially well suited for plain-clothes police officers, security personnel, or as a secondary weapon for military service members.

G-Man makes a very good point when he says, “The Kel-Tec PF-9 was given a nod, but not the P-11, which holds 10 +1 rounds of 9mm fire power to carry for the money at the basic size of the PF-9. #truth, G-Man. The Kel-Tec P-11 does in fact, have the same specifications at the less-capacity Kel-Tec PF-9, except it is a tad wider and a couple of ounces heavier. That’s more than a fair trade off for the higher round count you get in the P-11’s magazine. Not only that, but surprisingly it’s cheaper, too. For $241.62, you can get the 10-round P-11, while the PF-9 starts at $247.94. Kind of a no-brainer, right?

Kel-Tec P-11

Caliber

9mm

Barrel Length

3.1 inches

Capacity

10 rounds

Overall Height

4.3 inches

Overall Length

5.6 inches

Overall Width

1 inch

Weight Unloaded

14 ounces

Sights

Fixed front/adjustable rear

Grip

High impact polymer DuPont ST-8018

Price

Starting at $241.62

User rating

4 out of 5 stars

Seecamp LWS 380

“By far the smallest and best quality is a Seecamp .380, puts all of these to shame.”

Tom says, “Now that Seecamp makes a .380 the same size as their .25 and .32 and is smaller than any of the above, I think it deserves a note.” L.W. Seecamp Co. is a company with an interesting history. They have been making pistols since 1973, focusing on double-action only small-caliber pistols. The LWS 380 has a 2-inch barrel and is only 4.25 inches long overall. Those who own it understand its $810 MSRP. W.J. Tutwiler says, “It has been out longer than any on your list, is smaller than any on your list and is all steel. To top it all off, you can order a personalized serial number if it hasn’t already been taken. Tough to top that.” Josh agrees, “By far the smallest and best quality is a Seecamp .380, puts all of these to shame.” Les also votes for the Seecamp, “It is a true pocket pistol and the fit and finish is A-1 top shelf.”

Seecamp .380

Caliber

.380 ACP

Barrel Length

2.06 inches

Capacity

6 rounds

Overall Height

3.25 inches

Overall Length

4.25 inches

Overall Width

0.91 inches

Weight Unloaded

10.50 ounces

Sights

None

Grip

N/A

Price

MSRP $810

User rating

4 out of 5 stars

Boberg XR9-S

Boberg XR9-S

T McMurry just might be right; the Boberg XR9-S is the shortest 9mm on the list at 5.1 inches long. It is a not even an inch wide and has a 3.65-inch barrel, yet, “recoil is equivalent to a .380.” Bobergs are “handmade” says the owner of two of them. Some of you might say, “Oh, so that explains why it looks a little weird,” but that is not the case at all. The Boberg XR9-S has a different type of loading mechanism, once only used successfully in machine guns. The Boberg loads ammo “nose forward,” meaning the ‘XR Feeding Technology’ grabs the rim of the cartridge and loads the cartridge backwards into the gun. T McMurry says, “Down South it’s nice to have that kind of power in a true pocket pistol. They are super accurate at 25 yards and because of low recoil, fun to shoot.” Are you ready for the big kicker? The Boberg sells for just a teeny less than a grand.

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The mission of Cheaper Than Dirt!'s blog, "The Shooter's Log," is to provide information-not opinions-to our customers and the shooting community. We want you, our readers, to be able to make informed decisions. The information provided here does not represent the views of Cheaper Than Dirt!

Comments (251)

Ron Jensen

I have an original Detonic’s Combat Master manufactured in Seattle in the late ’70’s and early ’80’s, which I have hardly shot, but it is the best .45 Caliber concealed carry gun and it was rated with the Kimber, as the 2 best concealed carry weapons available at that time. The MSRP was $1200.00, but I was able to get it for $850.00! That is the reason that they only delivered 180 guns in 1982, which led to the business failure. I believe that they are now being manufactured in the Midwest, but the quality is nothing compared to the Original Patented .45ACP

Sarthurk

The LC9 is my last choice if I want to have any accuracy at all. The longest trigger pull in the history of firearms. Unfortunately, I own one. New thang is Springfield XDs .45 3.3. Excellent ergonomically. I shot 150+ rounds the other day, and it was very comfortable. The S&W mod 66 is still the sweetest thing in the world, but that’s not too concealable, or is it?

MATHEW GARM

I have and carry a ruger LCP, but I also courted a Glock 42. I’m surprised that it wasn’t mentioned here. It shoots 380s like shooting 22LRs. I’m really impressed with the weapon. I was able to add night sights (can’t do that on an LCP), and with a kridex trigger guard stung to my belt, I can pull it out of my pocket and be ready to launch a round in a micro second.

One thing I will add . Mind you , I love Rugers . But the LCP is built too close to “not stout enough” for me . If even ONE round of +p or a reload with ANY extra powder gets into the barrel , the barrel won’t hold the pressure . I have personally seen 2 Explode next to me on the practice range . LC9 yes , any of their revolvers -Yes ,& I love their rifles ….. But an LCP – not for me buddy . I’ll stick with my Kahr 9mm or my .38 snubbie thx .

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